Welcome
by Michelle the Editor
Summary: The newest generation of Rangers is welcomed- -more or less- -into the Ranger family. Third in the Letters Between Rangers spinoffs, though the order isn't particularly important.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Power Rangers, the Ballad of Bilbo Baggins, or the series this story is based on-Pink Wolf Princess's Letters Between Rangers.

A/N: Yep, another one! This one is Letter 13...and a little bit more to come. I've admittedly not seen that much of Samurai, so correct me if I goof with characterization.

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><p>Cam stared at the screen in perplexion.<p>

"No way," he said, shaking his head. "They wouldn't…_can't_…" His face darkened, and he began typing. Although he wasn't supposed to know how, computer hacking was a breeze to anyone as smart as him. Cam grew so engrossed in his project that he didn't realize Sensei Watanabe was in the room until he spoke.

"What are you doing, son?" Cam jumped, and whirled around.

"Dad!" He exclaimed, turning off the computer guiltily. Sensei raised his eyebrows.

"Why are you trying to keep secrets from me?"

"I'm not," Cam protested. "I was just—"

"Doing something you didn't want me to know about." Cam glanced from the computer screen to his father, and sighed.

"Dad, remember the new Rangers?"

"The Samurai, of course. They seem to be doing well in the fight against evil."

"There's a green one. They didn't even ask if they could use the name!"

"I see," Sensei said, nodding. "I hope you have not done something rash, my son. They are Earth's current defenders, and you could cause them serious trouble."

"No, I just…sent an email." Sensei looked hard at him. "And I may have hacked into the poser's computer and tweaked some things." Cam threw up his hands. "All right! I auto-translated all of his documents into Turkish and set it to loop all the annoying songs I could think of every time he opens a browser, but nothing serious!" Sensei shook his head.

"I would have thought you would act more maturely." Cam folded his arms and sighed.

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><p>Mike dropped his head into his hands with a groan, as the Ballad of Bilbo Baggins began to play for the umpteenth time. Emily and Mia couldn't help giggling, and Kevin pinched the bridge of his nose to stave off a headache. Jayden sat next to the Green Ranger.<p>

"Look, he told you how to fix it, didn't he?" Not looking up, Mike nodded and gestured to the email page.

"He only speaks technobabble. I can't make heads or tails of it."

"Have you tried just turning off the sound?"

"It only gets louder each time I try. If Master Xandred had a computer, we could just let Cam get rid of him." Jayden began fiddling with the computer.

The Samurai Rangers were startled to hear a knock at the door.

"I'll get it!" Emily exclaimed, breaking into a run. Then she skidded to a halt, and looked back at her teammates in confusion. "Wait, do we get mail?"

"Does anybody even know this address?" Kevin asked, resting the end of his wooden sword on the tiles.

"This might be one of Master Xandred's plans," Jayden warned. Mentor Ji, though, was smiling.

"I think I know what it is." He headed inside. Mike unfroze and darted after him. The others followed, and arrived as Mentor Ji brought a package into the living room.

"What is it?" Emily asked eagerly. The music finally stopped, and Mike let out a huge sigh of relief.

"What did you do?"

"Turned it off," Jayden replied.

"It's for you, Mia," Ji said, holding it out to the Pink Ranger. Mia plopped down on her chair and the others gathered around her, Jayden hanging back a little and smiling at his teammates. Mentor Ji handed him a letter.

"This arrived at the same time. If this is what I think it is, each of your teammates should be getting something." Jayden took the letter, and raised his eyebrows.

"From Terra Venture." Quietly, he went to the corner to read it.

Mia finally got the package open, and pulled a white envelope out of the packing peanuts.

"To the newest Pink Ranger," she read, and tore it open. "We're all thrilled the pink drought is over, and all decided to pitch in to make you feel welcome! Signed, Kimberly, Kat, Cassie, Kendrix, Karone, Dana, Jen, Syd, Vida and Rose."

"They even wrote it in pink pen, nice touch," Mike commented, as Mia began digging through the packing peanuts. The first thing she pulled out was a cookbook, with a note taped to it. Behind her back, Kevin and Mike fist-bumped.

"Dear Mia, welcome to the Pink Party! I included a cookbook in the package. I heard from Tori who heard from Cam who heard from Mike Jr. that you like to cook. Sincerely, Rose." Mia flipped through the book, probably already planning something from the way her eyes glowed.

"Don't stop now!" Mike protested, and reached into the box. Kevin shoved his hand away.

"Hey, it's her stuff!" Laughing, Mia pulled out a box of chocolates, with a note attached from Kimberly. Mia eyed her teammates as they tried to look at the paper over her shoulders, and put it face-down in her lap.

"They're your letters, you don't have to read them all aloud if you don't want to," Emily said, sitting back.

"Thanks. Protect these," Mia said, passing her the chocolates and giving the boys a suspicious look.

"We wouldn't!" Kevin protested.

"This is from Cassie and Vida," Mia went on, passing a CD to Emily. The next thing she pulled out was a little pink bag, which turned out to be a makeup kit from Syd.

"How'd they know your shoe size?" Kevin asked, as Mia looked over the running shoes Jen had added.

"Well, one's from 2025, and this one's from the year 3000, they probably found records or something," Emily said. "Look, they even match the jacket!" Mia pulled Kat's gift on, and Mike grabbed a book out of the box.

"Guide to the Known Galaxy, by Kendrix Morgan," he read off the cover.

"Go ahead and look, I've got plenty to do here," Mia said, before Kevin could stop Mike. The Green Ranger began flipping through, mainly looking at the pictures.

Jayden snuck into a corner with the photo album of early Rangers Karone had put together, Kevin following him. Emily picked up all the packing peanuts that fell on the floor and tossed them back in the box. The last thing Mia pulled out was a compact first aid kit, courtesy of Dana Mitchell.

"Practical, I like her," Master Ji said. Mia set the empty box down on the floor.

"This is…just…wow," she managed, looking at the gifts scattered around the room.

"Why do you get an early birthday, and I get a bunch of pranks?" Mike asked.

"Pinks are nicer," Kevin said. "Plus she isn't using the exact same powers as anyone else."

"Well," Mike grumped. He sat up. "Hey, are the rest of us going to get presents?"

"No idea, it'll probably be different for every color," Jayden said, closing the album.

"Do you want any help putting this away?" Emily asked.

"Thanks," Mia said, taking up an armful of gifts. "You guys can pass the books around until you're bored, but leave them on my shelf when you're done, okay? I don't want them to get left outside and rained on."

"Okie-dokie," Mike said, not even looking up. "Hey guys, there's a planet where the dogs have no noses!"

"Really? How do they sm—wait," Kevin began.

"Terrible!" Mike cried, and cracked up. Shaking her head, Mia went off to her room.

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><p>AN: So, not quite sure where things will go from here, but I think it'll be fun!


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Power Rangers belongs to Saban.

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><p>Most of the Blue Rangers were gathered in or around Billy's garage. All of the technically-inclined guys were inside, working on the RADBUG. It was still in pretty good shape, but the Rangers were adding a few things. Hopefully, it was going to be a group gift for the newest Blue, and had been Billy's idea.<p>

"Where're Tori and Blake?" Dax asked, glancing around.

"I think something was going on at Ninja Ops that the team needed to take care of," Ethan said, not looking away from his computer screen. He was going over the diagnostics of the RADBUG, looking like a little kid at Christmas. "Dude, this thing is incredible! You're sure you want to give it away to the new guy?"

"If I were not positive, I would not have made the suggestion," Billy replied from under the RADBUG.

"Okay, it's your car. Man, I wish you guys had started this tradition when I was the new guy," Ethan said, grinning. Then Tori's van pulled up at the end of the street, and she and Blake hopped out. Neither looked very happy.

"What happened?" Billy asked, crawling out and standing. With a sigh, Tori sat down next to Madison by the garage door. Blake leaned against a wall, glaring down at his shoes.

"Cam, again. Were any of you guys mad when you got repeat Rangers? I don't think so," Blake said, shaking his head.

"What did he do this time?" Justin asked, looking up. He'd gained a harder jawline, an even six foot height and a narrow beard from adolescence. Even his teammates had trouble recognizing him now.

"He followed Dustin to the mailman to the Samurai base, found Mike and yelled at him for fifteen minutes about ruining his life," Tori said.

"…Ouch," Rocky said, and Tori and Blake nodded emphatically.

"I thought Sensei had talked him out of it," TJ said, shaking his head.

"Well, after he'd calmed down the first time he was cool with it," Tori said, playing with her hair, "But then as he watched the Rangers fight, he started getting mad again. Said something about the new guy being a doofus and making him look bad."

"He never liked how silly the Green Rangers have been getting," Blake added.

"How's Mike?" Madison asked.

"According to our Mike, he's locked himself in the bathroom supplies closet," Kai called from the inside of the RADBUG, where he was fiddling with the opened dashboard.

"Great, more drama," Theo grumbled, folding his arms. "That's exactly what we needed."

"Perhaps it would be advisable for some of us to be more vigilant, in case any villains take advantage of the Samurai team's temporary dysfunction," Cestro suggested.

"Sounds like a good idea. I'll look up how this turns out when I get back to 2025," Sky replied.

"That might cause a temporal paradox," Billy said, frowning.

"Not if it shows that he's supposed to tell us," Max countered. He paused, wrinkling his forehead. "At least…I think that's how it works. Anyway, Lucas?"

The Time Force Ranger paused with his tinkering with the engine. He'd bragged that he could tweak it to three thousand in under a second, and all of the Rangers were watching to make sure he fulfilled that promise. He hadn't even broken a sweat yet, though.

"Even if you aren't supposed to tell us, I don't think it'll make too much of a difference," Lucas said. "We changed a lot bigger things in our time with no problem."

"Can we get back to work? We need to get this done soon," Flynn said, sliding out from under the RADBUG. "I don't think Time Force likes all this time travel."

"Affirmative," Billy said, and grabbed a toolbox.

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><p>"Mike? Mike, come out," Emily called through the door of the bathroom supply closet.<p>

"Go away." Came the muffled response.

"Mike, it's been eleven days, we need you. The Nighloks could attack any time," Emily pleaded. She heard a rustle in the bushes outside, and looked out to see Mike's miniature-form Zord trudge out of the shrubbery. It could fit through the window, and had been Mike's way of getting food. It had been busier in those eleven days than it had since Mike had become a Ranger.

Emily sighed, and plopped down on the floor next to the door. "I'm not leaving until you come out," she said, pulling out her iPod. She'd uploaded Tanya and Kira's CD onto it already, after Kevin had asked her to _please_ stop playing "Freak You Out" on repeat.

So far, the Pink, Yellow and Red Rangers had all gotten their packages. What Jayden was going to do with so many weapons Emily didn't know, but the Nighloks were pretty much doomed now. Emily's favorite gift—though she would never tell a soul, for fear of hurting one of the other Ranger's feelings—was the samurai doll from Trini. Kevin was trying very hard to not look eager for his own presents, and failing. Badly.

"Go away," Mike called from inside the closet. "And stop humming. Now that song's stuck in my head!"

"I'm not leaving until you come out," Emily replied. "Isn't it uncomfortable in there?" There was no reply. Emily sighed, and went back to her music.

Five minutes later, Emily paused the music. "What did Cam say that got you so upset?" She asked.

"I don't want to talk about it," Mike grumbled.

"All of the other Green Rangers like you," Emily said. "He was probably just upset because he's never had another Ranger with the same powers before."

"Yeah, but all of the other Green Rangers don't show up to tell me how they felt," Mike retorted. "For half an hour straight. Loudly."

Emily winced. "It was only fifteen minutes, but I know—I could hear him from the practice yard. Not what he said, just his voice. But I'm sure he didn't mean it."

Mike snorted. "Yeah, that's why he stalked me to say it."

"You're taking this too seriously," Emily said. "So one Ranger lost his temper at you—so what?"

"Emily, some of us actually mind being called names," Mike snapped. There was a pause. "Sorry," He muttered.

"It's okay," Emily said, though it was a half-truth. Then she heard voices from down the hall, and glanced up.

"Can't you just buy your own candy?" Mia was asking Kevin, one hand on the box in his grip. Emily recognized it as the chocolate Kimberly had sent. Mia had treated it like a national treasure, only eating a piece after they'd won a monster battle. Anyone who even glanced at it was all but attacked and driven off by the Pink Ranger.

"Why, when we've already got this?" Kevin replied, holding up the box out of Mia's reach. She folded her arms and glared.

"This had better work," she said darkly. With a shake of his head, Kevin went to the closet door.

"Mike," he called.

"For the five thousandth time, GO AWAY!" The Green Ranger yelled. Then, in a suddenly normal voice, he asked "What were you and Mia talking about?"

"That chocolate she got in her box," Kevin said carelessly. "Because, you know, sharing is one of the virtues of a Samurai. Mentor Ji said so."

There was a thump in the closet—Mike didn't have much room in there, so nearly every movement knocked something down.

"Chocolate?" He asked.

Mia, mollified now that the plan seemed to be working, joined in. "I know you haven't been able to get anything with sugar from the kitchen," she said. "But I don't want to try and pass this through to you—it'll make a mess. You'll have to come out to get some."

"You're not just making it up, are you? You've really got those chocolates out there," Mike asked suspiciously. Mia waved the open box near the gap under the door. Quickly, Emily took one of the candies and popped it into her mouth. Mia looked startled, but when Emily let out a loud "mmm," she got it.

"These are great—I see why you've been hoarding them, Mia," the Yellow Ranger said, very clearly so Mike could understand what she was saying. They heard more shuffling sounds from inside the closet. Kevin snagged a chocolate, grinning at the glare on Mia's face.

"Wow," he said. "You have got to try these, Mike!"

The lock clicked open. Very, very slowly, the closet door opened, and Mike stuck his head out. He certainly looked like someone who'd been living in a bathroom supply closet for eleven days—complete with bits of paper towels in his hair.

The Green Ranger darted out fully and grabbed three chocolates, cramming them into his mouth like a starving man. Emily slammed the closet door and blocked the way, while Kevin ran for a chair to barricade it with.

"Hey!" Mike protested through a mouthful of chocolate.

"Nope, you're not going back in," Mia said, snatching up the box of candy and holding it out of everyone else's reach. Mike gave her puppy eyes, and after a moment she relented and let him take more of the chocolates. The Pink Ranger looked at the now-nearly empty box gloomily as Mike chomped.

"Did it work—ah, it's good to see you again, Mike," Mentor Ji said. Nobody had heard him come up the hall. Mike jumped and sprang to his feet, swallowing the candy. There was a streak of brown along the corner of his mouth. "Mike, we all understand how you must have felt, but that was an unwise decision. A Nighlok could have attacked while you were in there, and with the team divided, things could have gone very wrong."

Mike looked down at his feet, ears turning pink. "Sorry, Mentor Ji," he said meekly. "It won't happen again."

"I'm sure it won't," Mentor Ji replied, and clapped Mike on the shoulder. "Now, the reason I came looking for you was because the last few Ranger packages have arrived."

Mike's head snapped up. Kevin, who'd been coming down the hall with a chair for the closet door, dropped the piece of furniture and sprinted towards the main room.

"Yours is outside, Kevin!" Mentor Ji called after him with a chuckle. The Blue Ranger changed direction and skidded out the door. Mia ran to hide the remnants of her chocolates, and Emily went after Mike.

Apparently, the Green Ranger was of the "wildly tear packaging apart" school of unwrapping gifts—there were bits of mostly-green paper scattered all around him already. Emily dropped onto her cushion and watched Mike. She reached over and picked up a smaller, opened box. Inside were a set of shadow puppet versions of her team. With a little excited squeal, Emily began looking at each one. They were white cardboard, and all of the suits' accents were cut-outs.

There was a crinkle of paper, and Mike froze, both arms in the box. Very slowly, he pulled out a green-and-silver dagger. It was nearly the length of his forearm, and on closer inspection, Emily could see chips and dents in the weapon from being in battle.

"N-no way," Mike stammered. "No _way_!" He dug in the paper, and came up with a note. "Mike—Billy tells me this isn't connected to the Dragonzord any longer, but it'll still help you in your fights with the Nighlok. Good luck and may the Power protect you. T. Oliver!"

"What is it?" Emily asked.

Jayden's voice broke in. "That's the Dragon Dagger—it belonged to the original Green Ranger."

Emily turned back to her teammate with a grin. "See?" Mike couldn't hear anything. He kept turning the weapon over and over in his hands, eyes so wide it looked like he had no eyelids.

"Hey, Mike!" Kevin called. Mike started, and looked around.

"What?"

"Come here."

"Why?"

"Just do it!" Kevin laughed.

Mike got up, and followed by Emily and Jayden, walked outside. Kevin was leaning on the RADBUG—which had been painted blue along with the upgrades—and beside him stood a sheepish-looking, familiar man. Mike froze.

"Look," Cam said, raising both hands. "Before you run away or attack me, I came here to apologize. I'm sorry for yelling at you. You're a fine Ranger."

"Th-this is really, you, not your cyber-copy, right?" Mike stammered.

"Yes, it's really me," Cam sighed. "I also came to give you this." He held out a green Power Disc. Slowly, as though he was afraid it would bite him, Mike came forward and took it.

"I used the information I'd gotten about your powers to connect the Samurai Star Chopper to a Power Disc," Cam said, with very obvious reluctance. "With all the other Ninjazords and my samurai amulet gone, I couldn't use it, so…it's yours now."

Mike's jaw dropped. He looked from the Power Disc to Cam and back very rapidly. Cam backed up and began to walk away.

"Hey!" Mike called, and Cam stopped. "Thanks—wow," he said again, staring at the new Power Disc.

"Do one thing for me?" Cam called.

"What?" Mike asked.

"Don't scratch the paint."

"I promise!" Mike exclaimed eagerly. Smiling a little, Cam waved and walked out the gate.

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><p>AN: Cam's was the only Zord to not get destroyed in the final battle. It seemed fitting.


End file.
